Giant Pandas for Adelaide » Adelaide Zoo

12-09-2007

How fair dinkum is ANY governemt about habitat/rainforest conservation?

fortunately funding conservation projects overseas doesn't mean you simply hand over money to another nations government!!!!

Instead the money is usually granted to an NGO that is involved in conservation initiatives. for example Zoos Victoria donates to Southeast Asia specific projects managed by Flora and Fauna International.

12-09-2007

with trade relations between oz and becoming increasingly strong i guess it was only a matter of time before giant pandas were granted to an australian zoo. i guess it just a matter of seperating the retoric from the fact.
i mean, in all seriousness, these pandas represent the breaking down of trade barriers....not so much conservation. but at least once they get here i trust adeliade zoo will use them as a conservation tool...

13-09-2007

Like pat said, you associate yourself as a conservation zoo with an NGO (the Kalaweit Trust) or an Indonesian partner organisation (Yayasan Badak Indonesia). I have mentioned in my assessment of the China panda deal several other NGO's that warrant financial assistance from foreign zoos.

I do hope that ARAZPA will somehow set up a working relationship with PKBSI (the Indonesian zoo association) to both influence in situ conservation and development of their zoos. The best among these is Taman Safari Indonesia in Bogor. The commitment would require investment of 1,000.000 each year. That coupled with more federal government sponsored in situ conservation projects in specific parts of Indonesia would make so much of a difference!

Fortunately, the present government includes the first decent Minister for the Environment, but his political clout needs to grow to make a meaningful impact. It is in this light that Ozzie zoo support for in situ conservation would be welcome indeed.

13-09-2007

ARAZPA has been slowly forging closer bonds with SEAZA as far as i know, and we can probably see this reflected in the high level of animal trade between australian zoos and one of the only decent zoos in southeast asia, singapore.

i agree that its very important, due to our location geographically, the severity of the situation with southeast asia's wildlife, and our identified priority for SE asian conservation after our own, that australian zoos definately forge close working and supporting bonds with the better of the SE asian regions zoos.

13-09-2007

I notice you use the term "better of the SE asian regions zoos." What are the Indonesian zoos like? Good? Bad? Ugly? Any chance of getting some fresh Sumatran tiger blood from them?

02-10-2007

Jumping in late on the conversation but I can't see a way that these Pandas won't turn out to be Adelaide Zoos 'White Elephant'.

To start with the long term timeframe means that there is no urgency for interstate visitors to see them. This is unlike the massive visitation that accompanied the Pandas short term stays at Taronga and Melbourne Zoo in the 80s. Secondly the amount of keeper time and money allocated to the project will be enormous for limited return.

Thirdly they will surely take visitation, therefore money, away from Monarto which should be the South Australian zoo of the future.

Finally I cant believe that the government (Federal or State - does anyone know) is spending $1 million a year to keep Panda's in Australia. We have native species such as the Tassie Devil, which gets no government support, that could do with the funding!

02-10-2007

im quietly confident that the pandas will be fine.
i think....
a-zoo visitation will increase dramatically then plane off but be above average
b-there will be short term and long term gains for South Australia's tourism industry. i mean, these guys must be rubbing their hands together. you would get sick of promoting churches, wine and McLeods Daughters
c-adelaide zoo probably wont make any groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs. but they may breed a panda or two, send some money to china, and importantly, the extra money from visitors, which may offset the loan fee which is, i understand, being waived by the Fed Govt, can be redirected to improving the zoo and focusing on other conservation programs. extra reveune could be ploughed back into the breeding program for the many species focused on by Zoos SA
d-finally im pleased for Adelaide Zoo. they dont have gorillas, elephant, rhino, giraffe or hippo (soon). they do have a superb asian rainforest and they have an extensive conservation portfolio relative to their size and organisational capacity. so having pandas is a well earned coup
e-and finally, i dont like Queensland. id rather catch my carbon neautral train from sydney to melbourne to adelaide than cross the northern border into QLD anyday

Pandas
03-10-2007

Still do not be surprised if Currumbin also gets Pandas in the not too distant future. Then maybe you can visit Queensland.

03-10-2007

Not a chance in hell - trust me

pandas
03-10-2007

Do not be surprised, they have done a lot more ground work than many think.

03-10-2007

From the UK- don't make me laugh....

03-10-2007

yeh but alex downer isnt from qld

pandas at Currumbin
03-10-2007

No, but the most likely next PM is from QLD.

04-10-2007

hang on, the chinese want them to go to adelaide as a gift for mr. downer, so what ever is done, sorry i beleive they will go to adelaide, the ones from the woolong or what ever cetre.

the other pandas are from a amusment park zoo, so there really is 2 totally difernt deals being done in my opinion, but the likely hood of a second going through is open to everyone to argue, basically i think adelaide will get 2 defintally, but whther the other currumbin get some, well that will just be 2 pairs in the region.

04-10-2007

oh zooboy, you are a master at stating the obvious and missing the point.

nobody here is suggesting that the two pandas destined for adelaide will not go to adelaide. its a done deal. concrete. it has and never had anything to do with the currumbin deal. nothing whatsoever.

as for A SECOND pair of pandas going to a private native wildlife park in queensland, yes, as you say thats open to debate. i for one think its ludicrous to expect they'll get some.